Download straightforward read definitions of lesbian, gay, bi and trans.

A

Abro (sexual and romantic)

A phrase used to explain individuals who've a fluid sexual and/or romantic orientation which modifications over time, or the course of their life. They may use totally different terms to explain themselves over time.

Ace

An umbrella term used specifically to describe an absence of, varying, or occasional experiences of sexual attraction. This encompasses asexual folks as well as those who determine as demisexual and grey-sexual. Ace people who expertise romantic attraction or occasional sexual attraction might also use phrases resembling gay, bi, lesbian, straight and queer along with asexual to describe the course of their romantic or sexual attraction.

Find out more about ace identities on our Ace Hub.

Ace and aro/ace and aro spectrum

Umbrella phrases used to describe the extensive group of people who expertise an absence of, various, or occasional experiences of romantic and/or sexual attraction, including a lack of attraction. Individuals who establish below these umbrella phrases could describe themselves using one or more of a large number of terms, together with, however not limited to, asexual, ace, aromantic, aro, demi, gray, and abro. People might also use terms similar to gay, bi, lesbian, straight and queer together with ace and aro to clarify the route of romantic or sexual attraction if and when they expertise it.

Listed here are 5 issues you need to learn about aro people.

Allo (sexual and romantic)

Allo folks expertise sexual and romantic attraction, and don't determine as on the ace or aro spectrum. Allo is to ace and aro spectrum identities, as straight is to LGB+ spectrum identities. It is important to make use of phrases that equalise expertise, otherwise the other to ace and aro turns into ‘normal’ which is stigmatising.

Aro

An umbrella term used particularly to explain an absence of, various, or occasional experiences of romantic attraction. This encompasses aromantic folks in addition to those that determine as demiromantic and grey-romantic. Aro people who experience sexual attraction or occasional romantic attraction might also use terms equivalent to gay, bi, lesbian, straight and queer at the side of asexual to describe the course of their attraction.

Aromantic

A person who does not expertise romantic attraction. Some aromantic folks experience sexual attraction, whereas others don't. Aromantic individuals who experience sexual attraction or occasional romantic attraction may also use phrases corresponding to gay, bi, lesbian, straight and queer at the side of asexual to describe the route of their attraction.

Asexual

A person who doesn't experience sexual attraction. Some asexual individuals experience romantic attraction, whereas others don't. Asexual people who expertise romantic attraction may additionally use phrases equivalent to gay, bi, lesbian, straight and queer together with asexual to explain the direction of their romantic attraction.

Ally

A (usually) straight and/or cis one that supports members of the LGBT group.

B

Bi

Bi is an umbrella time period used to explain a romantic and/or sexual orientation in the direction of a couple of gender.

Bi individuals might describe themselves utilizing a number of of a wide variety of phrases, together with, however not limited to, bisexual, pan, queer, and some other non-monosexual and non-monoromantic identities.

Learn extra about bi experiences on our Bi Hub.

Biphobia

The fear or dislike of somebody who identifies as bi primarily based on prejudice or unfavorable attitudes, beliefs or views about bi folks. Biphobic bullying may be targeted at people who are, or who are perceived to be, bi.

Butch

Butch is a term utilized in LBT culture to explain someone who expresses themselves in a typically masculine manner.

There are different identities throughout the scope of butch, corresponding to ‘soft butch’ and ‘stone butch’. You shouldn’t use these phrases about somebody until you understand they determine with them.

C

Cisgender or Cis

Someone whose gender identity is identical as the intercourse they have been assigned at delivery. Non-trans can be utilized by some individuals.

Coming out

When an individual first tells somebody/others about their orientation and/or gender identification.

Find out more about coming out and supporting others with their journey.

D

Deadnaming

Calling somebody by their beginning identify after they've changed their identify. This term is often related to trans folks who have modified their identify as part of their transition.

Demi (sexual and romantic)

An umbrella term used to explain people who may only feel sexually or romantically interested in individuals with whom they've formed an emotional bond. People may additionally use terms similar to gay, bi, lesbian, straight and queer together with demi to elucidate the course of romantic or sexual attraction as they experience it.

F

Femme

Femme is a time period utilized in LGBT tradition to explain somebody who expresses themselves in a sometimes feminine way.

There are other identities throughout the scope of femme, such as ‘low femme’, ‘high femme’, and ‘hard femme’. You shouldn’t use these terms about somebody until you know they establish with them.

G

Gay

Refers to a man who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards men. Also a generic time period for lesbian and gay sexuality - some women define themselves as gay somewhat than lesbian. Some non-binary folks can also determine with this time period.

Gender

Often expressed in terms of masculinity and femininity, gender is largely culturally decided and is assumed from the intercourse assigned at delivery.

Gender dysphoria

Used to explain when a person experiences discomfort or distress because there is a mismatch between their sex assigned at start and their gender identity.

This is also the clinical prognosis for somebody who doesn’t feel snug with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Gender expression

How a person chooses to outwardly specific their gender, throughout the context of societal expectations of gender. A person who does not conform to societal expectations of gender might not, nonetheless, establish as trans.

Gender identity

A person’s innate sense of their own gender, whether male, feminine or one thing else (see non-binary below), which may or could not correspond to the sex assigned at beginning.

Gender reassignment

Another way of describing a person’s transition. To undergo gender reassignment normally means to undergo some form of medical intervention, nevertheless it can also imply changing names, pronouns, dressing otherwise and living of their self-identified gender.

Gender reassignment is a characteristic that is protected by the Equality Act 2010, and it's further interpreted in the Equality Act 2010 accepted code of apply. It is a time period of a lot contention and is one that Stonewall's Trans Advisory Group feels ought to be reviewed.

Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC)

This enables trans people to be legally recognised of their affirmed gender and to be issued with a new birth certificate. Not all trans folks will apply for a GRC and you at the moment must be over 18 to apply.

You do not want a GRC to vary your gender markers at work or to legally change your gender on other paperwork such as your passport.

Gillick competence

A term utilized in medical law to decide whether or not a toddler (underneath sixteen years of age) is ready to consent to their very own medical therapy, with out the need for parental permission or knowledge.

Grey (sexual and romantic)

Also known as grey-A, that is an umbrella term which describes individuals who expertise attraction often, rarely, or only below certain situations. People may also use phrases similar to gay, bi, lesbian, straight and queer in conjunction with gray to clarify the route of romantic or sexual attraction as they expertise it.

H

Heterosexual/straight

Refers to a man who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards women or to a woman who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation in the direction of men.

Homosexual

This may be considered a more medical term used to describe someone who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards somebody of the identical gender. The term ‘gay’ is now extra usually used.

Homophobia

The worry or dislike of somebody, based on prejudice or detrimental attitudes, beliefs or views about lesbian, gay or bi people. Homophobic bullying could also be focused at people who are, or who're perceived to be, lesbian, gay or bi.

I

Intersex

A term used to describe a person who may have the biological attributes of each sexes or whose biological attributes do not fit with societal assumptions about what constitutes male or feminine.

Intersex individuals could determine as male, female or non-binary.

Stonewall works with intersex groups to offer its companions and stakeholders info and proof about areas of disadvantage experienced by intersex individuals however does not, after discussions with members of the intersex community, include intersex points as a part of its current remit at this stage.

L

Lesbian

Refers to a girl who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation in direction of women. Some non-binary folks can also determine with this term.

Learn more about lesbian experiences on our Lesbian Hub.

Lesbophobia

The concern or dislike of somebody because they're or are perceived to be a lesbian.

LGBTQ+

The acronym for lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace.

N

Non-binary

An umbrella time period for people whose gender id doesn’t sit comfortably with ‘man’ or ‘woman’. Non-binary identities are varied and can embrace individuals who establish with some facets of binary identities, whereas others reject them totally.

Read about what it is like to be non-binary within the UK as we speak.

O

Orientation

Orientation is an umbrella term describing a person's attraction to different people. This attraction could also be sexual (sexual orientation) and/or romantic (romantic orientation). These phrases refers to a person's sense of identity based on their points of interest, or lack thereof.

Orientations embrace, however should not restricted to, lesbian, gay, bi, ace and straight.

Outed

When a lesbian, gay, bi or trans person’s sexual orientation or gender identification is disclosed to another person with out their consent.

P

Person with a trans history

Someone who identifies as male or feminine or a man or woman, however was assigned the opposite sex at beginning. This is increasingly used by people to acknowledge a trans past.

Pan

Refers to a person whose romantic and/or sexual attraction in the direction of others is not limited by sex or gender.

Debunk 5 frequent misconceptions about pansexuality.

Passing

If someone is regarded, at a glance, to be a cisgender man or cisgender girl.

Cisgender refers to somebody whose gender identification matches the sex they had been ‘assigned’ at delivery. This might include bodily gender cues (hair or clothes) and/or behaviour which is historically or culturally related to a specific gender.

Platonic partnerships

People who find themselves on the ace and/or aro spectrum might have platonic partnerships. These are relationships where there's a high degree of mutual dedication which might embrace shared life decisions, shared dwelling preparations, and co-parenting of children. These partnerships can include more than two people. Like allosexual and alloromantic individuals, ace and aro spectrum individuals could also be monogamous or polyamorous.

Pronoun

Words we use to check with people’s gender in dialog - for example, ‘he’ or ‘she’. Some people may favor others to consult with them in gender neutral language and use pronouns similar to they/their and ze/zir.

Q

Queer is a term used by those desirous to reject specific labels of romantic orientation, https://pornevening.com/ sexual orientation and/or gender identification. It can also be a way of rejecting the perceived norms of the LGBT group (racism, sizeism, ableism and so on). Although some LGBT folks view the word as a slur, it was reclaimed within the late 80s by the queer neighborhood who have embraced it.

Questioning

The process of exploring your own sexual orientation and/or gender identification.

R

Romantic orientation

A person’s romantic attraction to other folks, or lack thereof. Together with sexual orientation, this varieties a person’s orientation identification.

S

Sex

Assigned to an individual on the idea of main sex traits (genitalia) and reproductive features. Sometimes the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ are interchanged to imply ‘male’ or ‘female’.

Sexual orientation

A person’s sexual attraction to different people, or lack thereof. Along with romantic orientation, this varieties a person’s orientation identity.

Stonewall uses the time period ‘orientation’ as an umbrella time period overlaying sexual and romantic orientations.

Spectrum

A term used to cowl a wide range of identities which have a root commonality or shared expertise.

T

Trans

An umbrella term to describe folks whose gender isn't the same as, or doesn't sit comfortably with, the intercourse they have been assigned at birth.

Trans people may describe themselves utilizing one or more of a wide variety of phrases, together with (but not restricted to) transgender, transsexual, gender-queer (GQ), gender-fluid, non-binary, gender-variant, crossdresser, genderless, agender, nongender, third gender, bi-gender, trans man, trans girl, trans masculine, trans feminine and neutrois.

Find out more about trans experiences on our Trans Hub.

Transgender man

A time period used to explain someone who is assigned feminine at delivery but identifies and lives as a man. This could also be shortened to trans man, or FTM, an abbreviation for female-to-male.

Transgender lady

A term used to explain somebody who's assigned male at start however identifies and lives as a woman. This could also be shortened to trans girl, or MTF, an abbreviation for male-to-feminine.

Transitioning

The steps a trans particular person could take to live within the gender with which they establish. Each person’s transition will involve various things. For some this entails medical intervention, resembling hormone therapy and surgeries, however not all trans people want or are capable of have this.

Transitioning also would possibly contain things reminiscent of telling pals and household, dressing in a different way and altering official paperwork.

Transphobia

The worry or dislike of somebody based mostly on the fact they're trans, together with denying their gender id or refusing to accept it. Transphobia could also be focused at people who are, or who are perceived to be, trans.

Transsexual

This was used up to now as a extra medical time period (similarly to homosexual) to refer to somebody whose gender isn't the identical as, or doesn't sit comfortably with, the intercourse they have been assigned at birth.

This term continues to be used by some although many individuals prefer the term trans or transgender.

U

Undetectable

HIV medication (antiretroviral treatment, or Art) works by decreasing the amount of the virus within the blood to undetectable ranges. This means the degrees of HIV are so low that the virus cannot be handed on. This is named having an undetectable viral load or being undetectable.